


More Precious

by WriteForLife



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-08-27 22:00:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8418682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriteForLife/pseuds/WriteForLife





	

Two weeks since the day your world had ended. Two weeks since the day you had decided to surprise your husband at work. He'd told you that he had a business meeting in the morning, but that he wanted you to come and join him - and his father - for a late lunch afterward. Lunch with the Chairman wasn't the most fun you'd ever had. Even with his current girlfriend and his son in the room, he had a tendency to get a whole lot friendlier than you were comfortable with your father-in-law being. In order to gird yourself against the coming unpleasantness, you stopped by Jaehee's coffee shop, first. Spending some time with your friend - who was infinitely happier now that she no longer worked as Jumin's assistant - was just what you needed to armor yourself against your father-in-law's advances.   
It was nearly two in the afternoon by the time you arrived at the office building. Certainly that qualified for 'late lunch'. Chairman Han's limousine waited in front of the building. The engine was off. Not wanting to be accosted, you hurried into the building. The guards and receptionists are pretty familiar with you by now, and smile and wave as you walk past. You return all of the greetings as they come. The ride up in the elevator is quick and quiet, and you step out onto the top floor. It was much quieter here than on the lower floors, as only Jumin and his father have their offices up here. The desks of their assistants were empty, which was unusual for this time of the day. It was a little concerning, but you assumed it was simply that his assistant would be helping with the business deal. You continued back to the door that opened into Jumin's private office. It was closed, but you could see shadows under the door. You closed in quietly, not wanting to interrupt if the meeting was still going on. You put your ear to the door, listening intently. The noises that you hear from inside certainly don't sound like business negotiations, or, indeed, even conversation. Your heart starts beating harder, thumping in worry. You try to brush your fears away. Jumin has always assured you that you are the only woman he wants. As you had begun to get to know him, and as you were dating, he had been distinctly against doing business in his father's fashion. He hadn't been above flirting with women if it sealed the deal, but it never went beyond that. At least, that's what he'd told you.   
You opened the door quietly, peeking around the edge, still praying that the noises - that were now much more distinct - were completely innocent. When you saw the long, dark hair draped over the front edge of the desk - the same desk you, yourself, had been draped over on any number of occasions - your heart broke into a million pieces. All you could see of Jumin was the top of his head, and his bare shoulders and back, bent over the other woman. Time slowed to a crawl as your mind dashed between despair and fury. Fury won out, and you flung the door away form you, gaining a perverse satisfaction as it thunked solidly on the wall.   
"Guess you haven't gotten the lock installed yet," you spoke, allowing the disdain to flow. Another shot of satisfaction at the shock and fear and shame on their faces. You pulled the rings off your left ring finger, held them in front of you, and dropped them on the floor. "Maybe you should think about getting a solid core door installed, as well."  
You turned on your heel and walked out of the office, using every last bit of willpower to walk with your head up. As you reached the elevator doors, they opened, and the two assistants stepped out. The welcoming smiles faded from their faces as they confronted the fury on yours, and quickly stepped out. The ride down was the hardest point. The last thing you wanted was to break down before you were out of the building. You drew in a deep breath as the doors opened on the ground floor, and kept your face carefully neutral as you left the building.   
You hailed a cab on the sidewalk and climbed in. The traffic was light enough that you arrived at home in minutes. You asked the driver to wait before heading inside. Once in the penthouse, you stripped off you clothes and left them lying on the floor, putting on clothes that had come with you. You quickly packed only what had come with you when you had moved in with Jumin. You dumped your purse on the bed, again picking out only those things that had nothing to do with Jumin, and pulled the cards from your wallet, keeping only the credit card that you'd had for years. You were suddenly thankful that you had chosen to keep your own account, in your maiden name. Not wanting to be there when Jumin arrived... or didn't... you picked up your bags and left, dropping the keys on the hall table.   
You had the taxi take you to the only place that Jumin wouldn't be able to find you - Rika's old apartment. It still held all of the confidential documents, but the bomb was no longer there. You punched in the lock code. It took several tries, as the tears were now streaming down your face, blurring your vision. Once you were inside, you closed and locked the door, sliding to the floor as the dam finally burst.   
You had no idea how long you lay there before you realized that your phone was ringing. You picked it up, intending to turn it off, and saw the call was from Saeyoung. Of course, he would know you were here. He had the apartment under constant surveillance.  
You hit the button to answer.  
"______, why are you in the apartment?" He asked.  
"I'm sorry," you croaked, "I.... I can't talk right now..." You didn't wait to hear anymore, ending the call and turning off your phone. You left it sitting on the floor and crawled into the bed, burrowing under the covers. 

The days between then and now had passed in a blur of ignored calls and texts, and now here you sat, in the waiting room of the doctor's office. Jaehee was sitting beside you, having been the one to convince you that the sharp pains in your stomach might be more than just stress.   
Finally, you were called into the exam room. The nurse double checked the information on the sheet, firing off questions that Jaehee, in all her efficient glory, answered clearly and succinctly.   
"The doctor will be in in a moment," she said, her voice pleasant and calm. She handed you a clear container and pointed to the bathroom. "Please fill this to the red line, and set it in the window while you are waiting."  
"Why?" You asked, taking the cup as you stood.  
"So we can check for a UTI, and a couple other things," she answered.   
You just nodded and went into the room and closed the door, staring for a moment at the sign that explained how to get a clean catch.   
You had just returned to your seat when the doctor entered and had you lie down on the exam table, and began palpitating your stomach, asking for you to verify when it hurt.  
When that was unsuccessful, he consulted your chart.  
"The tests for any kind of urinary tract infections have all come back negative," he reported as his eyes skimmed the page. "Oh! I see here you have an IUD?"  
"Yes."  
"In all likelihood, it's just come dislodged from its perch. that happens from time to time, and is a relatively simple fix. I'll have a nurse bring in the ultrasound machine, and we'll check that possibility."  
He turned as the nurse entered, showing him a readout. His eyebrows lifted and he frowned.  
"You're sure?"  
"Yes."  
"Then I definitely need you to bring the ultrasound machine in."  
"What's going on"? Jaehee demanded.  
The doctor looked at both of you, his face concerned.  
"It seems you're pregnant, Ms. _____."  
Jaehee gasped, but you, worn and stressed and heartbroken, started laughing and crying.  
"Of course," you managed to choke out. "Of course I'm pregnant... I was going to call the lawyer to start divorce proceedings tomorrow...fuck..."  
The nurse returned with the machine, plugged it in, and proceeded to prepare you.  
The blue gel was cold on your skin, but you barely noticed. The doctor pulled his stool beside the bed and began pressing the wand to your stomach, just above your pubic bone.  
He pointed out a strange T-shape in the picture.   
"There's your IUD. It should be up here." He pointed to a dark area on the screen as he moved the wand around again. "And here is the fetus. There's the heart," he pointed to a spot that fluttered on the screen. "Looks like you're very nearly at the end of the first trimester. Tenth or eleventh week, I 'd say."   
He stepped aside to let the nurse wipe the gel off your stomach.  
"It's even more imperative now that we get that IUD out. Leaving it in will cause a perforation of the uterus, thus internal bleeding, and very possibly your death. There is also a high probability that this procedure will cause a miscarriage."  
Your eyes were fixed on the screen of the ultrasound machine, where the image of the baby was still displayed.  
"I will do all I can to save the child. I just want you to know the dangers involved."  
"I understand," you whispered, your mind frozen, like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. "Do what you have to, Doctor."  
The doctor nodded and turned to the nurse.  
"Please see that Ms. ______ is prepped for surgery immediately. I'll see you in a few minutes." He left the room as the nurse helped you to sit upright again, and handed you a long piece of paper. Pictures of the ultrasound were printed on the smooth sheet. She unplugged the ultrasound machine and pulled a hospital gown and a plastic bag from a drawer.  
"Please put this on and wait here. I'll return with a wheelchair in a few minutes. You can put your clothes into the bag."  
She opened the door and pushed the machine out, pulling the door closed behind her.  
You slid off the table, numb, and picked up the gown and the plastic bag.  
Jaehee slid an arm around your shoulder and you broke down again, sobbing on her shoulder.   
She made soothing noises and petted your hair, holding you until you stopped shaking. She handed you a tissue.  
"What are you hoping for?" She asked quietly.  
You sighed. "I don't know. I guess if there's a miscarriage, I can sever ties with Jumin cleanly...." You shuffled into the bathroom and changed into the gown, stuffing your clothes into the bag just as the nurse returned, pushing a wheelchair.  
"The other members are worried for you. What should I tell them?"  
You sat down in the wheelchair and sighed. These people, through a series of highly unlikely events, had become your second family.   
"Tell them to be patient for a little while longer, please. I'll tell them everything later."  
"Jumin just entered the chatroom and saw where I brought you to the doctor. He's demanding to know what's happening. Tch. Now he's calling."  
You rubbed your temples. Damn the man. Damn your traitor heart that still fluttered at his name.  
"I guess, since this is his baby too, he deserves to know. Go ahead and tell him."  
She frowned and answered the call as you were wheeled out of the exam room and through to the surgical center.

 

Consciousness was slow to return. The first thing became aware of was the sound of voices in the room. They were distorted, as though you were underwater. There was a steady beeping noise close to your head. The next thing you realized is that one of your hands was much warmer than the other, a familiar pressure surrounding it. The pressure changed, and something soft warm was pressed against each of your fingertips, then the palm of your hand and the inside of your wrist, before the enveloping warmth and pressure returned.   
You felt something wrapped around one bicep, something that suddenly started getting tighter as a buzzing noise filled your ear. You began to open your eyes, blinking in the bright light that shone over your head.   
Noticing the movement, a blurry shape appeared in your line of sight, and you blinked several more times.  
"________," a deep, rich voice spoke your name quietly. Your heart lurched at the sound as Jumin's face coalesced above you. He looked terrible - dark rings under his eyes, several days' worth of facial hair along his jawline, hair unkempt. You felt a momentary pang of guilt, knowing that he had been worried about you all this time, but it was replaced by a flash of hurt and anger. You weren't sure if that anger was directed at yourself or at him, because a wave of relief and joy also washed over you.   
"Jumin...." you whispered his name, and hot tears formed at the corners of your eyes.  
He laid his forehead against yours, wiping your tears with one thumb.  
"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry...."  
"Hey! She's awake!" Yoosung called out. "You can't hog her, Jumin!"  
Almost as one, the rest of the RFA gathered around your bed, all talking at the same time.  
The nurse and doctor walked in at that point in time. the nurse had to physically move Yoosung so she could check the readings on the machines to which you were hooked.  
The doctor picked up your chart from its slot on the end of the bed and flipped through it, then looked up, his gaze moving between you and Jumin.  
"The procedure was a success" he announced. "So far, the baby is fine. This first week is the most dangerous week, so you're going to be staying here, where we can keep an eye on things. After this week, we'll discuss what happens next." He looked around at your friends. "Please don't stay too long. Rest is the best healer at this point." He made a note in your chart, replaced it in the slot, and left the room, followed closely by the nurse.  
Yoosung, unable to contain himself any longer, leaned over the other side of the bed.  
"Baby! I didn't know you guys were having a baby already!"  
You smiled and patted his head.  
"Calm down, Yoosung. Neither did we. Hadn't even broached the subject of kids yet. At some point, my IUD slipped out of the spot where it's supposed to sit, and that's when I got pregnant. Because that particular form of birth control caused my periods to almost stop, not having a period for three months wasn't a big deal. A couple of days ago, I started getting random sharp pains in my stomach. I thought it was from stress, so didn't pay much attention. Today, Jaehee insisted that I come see the doctor, and now here we are."  
"But everything's okay now, right?"  
"That remains to be seen. The procedure to remove the IUD can sometimes cause a miscarriage. That's why I have to be on bed rest for the next week. God that's gonna be a long time to just lay here...."  
"But why did the IUD thingy have to come out?"  
"It could have killed her," Jaehee answered, "by puncturing internal organs and causing internal bleeding."  
Yoosung's face paled, then turned and threw his arms around Jaehee.  
"I'm so glad you were there, Jaehee!" He cried.  
The others laughed, each of them taking a turn to give you a hug.  
"We'll let you rest now," V spoke up from his spot behind Jumin. "If there's anything we can do, please let us know." He began herding the group out the door.  
"Just come visit when you can," you replied. "Keep me from going stir crazy while I'm stuck in here."  
"I'll come every day!" Yoosung promised as he was pushed out into the hall.  
"I look forward to it," you answered, a small laugh escaping as the door closed behind them.  
You laid your head back on the bed, your eyes closing slowly. You really were tired. Must be from the anesthesia.   
"I'll have a hospital bed delivered to the penthouse," Jumin announced. "I'll hire a nurse...."  
"Jumin, stop. I'm not setting foot back in your penthouse. Ever."  
"Why not?!" You could see the irritation in his eyes.  
"You really have to ask that?"  
"Nothing happened there, and I apologized!"  
"'Sorry' doesn't repair broken trust, Jumin. You shouldn't make any plans until we see how this week goes, anyway."  
He let go of your hand and walked away, staring out the window at the night sky. His back was ramrod straight, hands curled into fists.  
"And why is that?"  
"Because I plan on returning to the States if the baby doesn't survive. There won't be anything tying us together at that point."  
His shoulders and head dropped, and he laid his head against the window.  
"Please don't leave me...." his voice was quiet, broken.  
You wanted to hold him, to comfort and reassure him, but now was not the time to get soft, you reminded yourself. You had a few things that needed to be said.  
"The moment you decided, for whatever reason, that it was okay to fuck another woman, you left me, Jumin."  
His face was tormented as he turned back toward you.  
"Please give me the chance to win you back," he pleaded. "These last two weeks have been the worst of my life. Nothing and no one is more precious to me than you, ______." He let out a breath. "At first, I was angry with you. You promised you'd stay with me forever, for better or worse. It wasn't until V asked me how I'd feel if the situation had been reversed, and I'd walked in to see some other man making love to you. At that moment, I realized what I'd done to you. How much I'd hurt you. How deeply I'd betrayed you. It almost killed me, realizing that."  
He returned to the side of the bed, his visage sober.  
"I'll understand if you choose to leave, but I'm begging you. Please, whether our baby lives or dies, please give me another chance to prove to you that I mean what I say."  
Watching his face as he spoke, seeing the regret, the sorrow, the fear and the determination, you wanted to believe him.   
"It won't be as easy the second time around," you warned. "The bridge burned to ashes. It won't be quick to rebuild."  
"I understand. Thank you. I won't let you down again." He took your nearer hand in one of his, bringing it to his lips and pressing a kiss to it. His other hand rested on your belly. "I swear to both of you, I will make things right again."

 

Your week in the hospital went faster than you thought it would, thanks in large part to Yoosung. True to his word, he came every day to visit, bringing his homework each day. Something had lighted a fire under the boy, and he was suddenly taking his education seriously. He still played LOLOL, but it was treat for when he'd finished his work.   
Jumin came every day, as well. In the morning before going to work, and again in the afternoon. He stayed until visiting hours were over. The day you were released, he came in looking very pleased with himself. Even after you had been loaded into his car, with a big, welcoming smile from driver Kim, he still wouldn't say anything. Once Jumin was settled beside you, he got a mischievous look on his face.  
"I'm going to need to blindfold you," he said, taking a silk eye-mask from his jacket pocket.  
You looked at him incredulously.  
"Please, ______. just wear it. It'll make everything better."  
"Fine," you agreed, letting him slip the mask over your eyes.  
Unable to see, you laid your head against the back of the seat and promptly lost track of time. When the car stopped, you moved to take the mask off, but he stopped you.  
"Not yet," he said.   
You heard the car door open and Jumin sliding out.   
"Come out of the car," he said.   
With a sigh, you slid across the seat, feeling for the door. You found Jumin's hand, and he helped you out of the car. Once you were standing, he lifted you easily and started walking.  
"What are you doing?"  
"Taking you home. Just wait."  
You heard large doors opening, and the heels of his shoes clicking on a tile floor. Then you were in an elevator heading up, and he still hadn't put you down. The elevator finally stopped, and he exited. The halls here were carpeted, and you kept waiting for him to stop and open a door. When he finally put you on your feet, he placed a kiss on the top of your head.  
"I hope you like it," he whispered, removing the mask.  
You had to blink a few times to clear your vision. Wherever you were, it very clearly wasn't his penthouse. You looked around, completely gobsmacked. The place was gorgeous; sleek and refined, and looked brand new.  
"Where....?" You looked up at him, and he smiled, his love for you apparent in his gray eyes.  
"Home, like I said." he lifted you again, walking around to give you the full tour. "I bought the entire top floor," he said, "and had the four suites joined together into one home. We have the entire balcony - all the way around the building. When spring comes, I'll have a garden area put in up on the roof." he walked to another area, opening a door into a smallish room. A bed and dresser were inside. "This is my room," he said. He moved down the hall, opening another door. This one led to an opulent bathroom. The next door was a huge room. A large bed stood int he center of the room. You could see the closet from where you were. "This is your room," he announced proudly. "We can rearrange things later, if you'd like."  
Your confusion must have been clear on your face, because he laughed, burying his nose in your hair.  
"I want to take care of you, but I also want you to be comfortable," he explained. "I have one more room to show you." He headed back into the hall and down to the next door, opening it with as much of a flourish as he could manage with you in his arms.  
"The nursery," he announced, setting you on your feet again. There was a crib and changing table, a dresser, and a glider-rocker in the room, but the walls were still white.  
"I didn't want to decorate it without you," he said quietly.  
You slid your arms around his waist and rested your head on his chest.  
"Thank you, Jumin. It's perfect."  
He wrapped his arms around your shoulders, holding you tightly.  
"I've also hired a second assistant, so that I can go to all the doctor's appointments with you. And, i have a satellite office here, so that I can still be here and do my work. The chef and nutritionist will be coming on Sundays to prepare each week's meals, and the nurse will be coming to check on you on the days that I have to go to the office."

 

The weeks flew by. You had just come from your five month check up, and Jumin was floating on air. You had found out today that you were having a boy, and he could barely contain his excitement. You had stopped at a paint store, looking at colors to paint the nursery, and Jumin was calling a professional painter. You walked into your room to drop off your shoes and purse, then stretched out on your bed. You were constantly surprised at how quickly you got tired, but the doctor had assured you that it was perfectly normal.   
Finished with his call, Jumin knocked on your door, entering after you waved him in, and sat beside you on the bed.  
"The painter will be here in two weeks. She wants us to check out some of her designs on her webpage between now and then, to decide if we want the room similar to any of those designs." He set the business card on the nightstand and reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, a gentle smile on his face.  
"I guess we need to start discussing names next," you said, returning his smile. The doctor had told you today that it would be safe to begin having sex again. You hadn't bothered to tell the doctor that you and your husband were currently sleeping in separate beds. Jumin had been true to his word, not pushing, not demanding, and always there. He looked as tired as you felt.  
"I'm still amazed that you did all of this," you remarked, waving a hand to indicate the entire penthouse.   
He shrugged one shoulder, the opposite hand cupping your cheek.  
"Once I'd discovered that there was someone in this world more precious to me than any one or anything else, everything else was easy."  
You turned your head and kissed the palm of his hand, about to say something, when the baby began moving.  
You grabbed his hand and placed it on your belly where the movement was most apparent. his eyes widened in wonder. He leaned over, kissing your belly, then stretched out beside you, his hand resting gently on his wiggling son. He laid his forehead on yours.  
"Thank you, my princess. I love you."


End file.
